Signaling device



Nov. 27, 1928.

A. L. METTLER SIGNALING DEVICE Filed April 28, 1924 m m m m uvcufo't n ARTHUR L. /VETTLER lhlnrump Patented Nov; 27.,

UNITED STATES P ATE. N T nO F FICE ARTHUR L. KETTLER, OF SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO y HUGH E. MCCABTHY, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

l SIGNALING DEVICE.

' Application led April 28, Serial No. 709634.

lMy invention relates to and has for its urpose the provision of a devlce for use 1n u1d clrculating systems of various characters to automatically signalerv indicate in some suit- 5 able manner when, for any reason, the fluid internal combustion engines to indicatek either by disrupting the ignition system and stopping the engineV or actuating a visible si al within view of the vehicle operator, w en the water in the cooling system fails to circulate.

I will describe only one form'of signaling device embodying my invention, and' will then point out the novel features thereof in claims. d

In the accompanyinvr drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation one form of signalin device embodying my invention in a plie position with respect to the pipe o a cooling system for internal combustion engines;

Figure 2 is a transversesectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, in

y which similar reference characters refer to similarparts, my inventionn its present ernbodinient is shownvas interposed in the pipe line of a cooling cludin a pipe 15 t rough which water flows in the irection of the arrow, to be discharged elbow 17 spaced ears 20 are secured so as to extend upwardly into the casin 18. A pin 21 is 'ournaledin the ears an providesa ivot su port .for a lever 22 which extends ownwar ly into the elbow and upwardly into the casin rIfhis lever is provided at its lower end wit a. relatively .flat dish shaped head 23 which is movable withl the lever to i occupy one extremelpositio'n in which it abatsv stem, such pipe line in-l into a second `pipe 16 disposed at right angles the flange 17, as shown inl solid lines in Fig- 'ure 1, and another extreme position and which is disengaged from the iiange, as shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 1.

The lever 22 is normally urged to the position in which the head-23 engages the flange 17a by means of a spring 24 secured within the casing by means of a. screw 25. In this urgedv position of the lever 22 it engages a cont-act 26 carried by a plug including a porcelain member 27 and a shell 28 threadedly iitted within a suitable socket 29 formed on the casing 18. In the other extreme position of the lever shown in dash lines, its 'upper end engages a stop screw 30 -adjustably mounted in the' casing 18 and adapted to be locked in adjusted position by means ot a. lock-nut 31.

'Ihe lever 22and the contact 26 cci-operate to provide a circuit controller for controlling the supply of current from a battery 32 to a suitable signal 33. As shown in Figure 1, one side of the battery 32 is grounded, while the other 'side' is connectedto the nal 33 through a conductor 34, and the signal inv turn is connected to the contact 26' through a conductor 35, a terminal post 36 on the plug being provided for the purpose of connecting the conductor to the contact. The cap 19 of the casing 18 is provided with a connector 37 connected to the cap by a screw 38 and grounded vas shown.

In practice, during the normal flow of water from the pipes 15 to the pipe 16, the head 23 is held inthe dotted line osition shown in Figure 1, thereby maintaining the lever 22 out of engagement with the contact 26 so that current is not-supplied to the signal 33. However, should the water for any reason fail to circulate from the pipe 15 to the pipe 16, the spring 24 will act to -move the lever l95 into engagement with the contact 26, thereby allowing current from the battery 32 to flow to and actuate the signal 33 in such manner that an indication, visible or otherwise, is given to the operator, thereby apprising him of the fact that the water is not circulating in the coolin system. As `Soon as the normal circulation o liquid through the pipes 15 and 16 is restored, it will be clearl that the water will act upon the head 23 to move the lever` 22 105 out of engagement with the contact 26, thereby disrupting the circuit and rendering the signal 33 inactive.

In order to prevent water entering the casing 18 and forming a conducting bridge be- 1 10 tween the lever 22 and the contact 26 so as to close the circuit for the signal 33 and thus give a false signal, I have provided a drain pipe 39 which extends downwardly into the elbow from the bottom of the casing 18 so that water entering in the casing through the openings in which the ears 20 are located will be drained from the casing to prevent such water reaching the level of the Contact 26. As a further preventive, I have formed. the head 23 with a lip 23a which operates to deiect the water impinging against the head downwardly into the elbow, thus reducing the tendency of the water to pass upwardly into the casing 18.

The circuit controller com rising the lever 22 and the contact 26 can e employed to short circuit the ignition system of an internal combustion engine when water ceases to flow from the pipe 15 to the pipe 1G, the stoppingof the engine due to the short circuiting of the ignition system indicating to the operator of the vehicle that water in the cooling system is not circulating. It will of course be understood that in this adaptation of my invention it may be necessary to employ a hand operated switch (not shown) which is employed to close the ignition system independently of the circuit controller to allow the starting of the engine.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of signaling device embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: y

1. An electrical circuit controller for the fluid circulating systems of engines comprising in combination a connecting coupling adapted to form part of a fluid conduit, a casing secured upon the coupling and provided with a contact, said coupling and casing having registering openings, ears on the coupling extending through the opening in the casing, a lever pivot-ally mounted intermediate its ends on the ears with one end disposed in the casing and the other end in the coupling, means engaging the casing portion of the lever for normally urging the latter into engagement with the contact, a head on the coupling portion of the lever 'having a deflecting lip and adapted under the action of water owing through the conduit to move the lever out of engagement with the contact,

and screw means adjustable in the casing,

and engageable by the lever for limiting the movement of the lever under the action of the water.

2. An electric circuit controller fory fluid circulating systems of internal combustion engines comprising a casing adapted to form a part of a fluid conduit, a circuit controller including a contact in the casing, a lever movable to engage or disengage the contact, said lever having portions extending into the casing and conduit pipe, a head on the lever in the pipe adapted, under pressure of water liowing through the conduit, to move theV lever out of engagement with the Contact, a

spring secured to said casing to move the lever into engagement with `the contact, a drain pipe connected to the bottom of the casing and extending into the fluid conduit, and an adjustable element engageable by the lever to limit the movement of the lever in a direction away from the contact.

ARTHUR L. METTLER. 

